Deadly H5N1 Bird Flu threat to Humans

[nivek]

Now bird flu is detected in COW'S MILK at dairy farms across US... as virus edges closer to human spillover​

Bird flu has been detected in dairy cows and their milk on farms in Texas and in Kansas for the first time ever.

Tests revealed that an unknown number of cows were positive for Type A H5N1, the strain behind the largest ever outbreak in animals and has killed dozens of people globally since 2022.

The virus was also found to be affecting older dairy cows in New Mexico while Iowa, another dairy-heavy state, is monitoring the situation.

Farmers first noticed cows falling ill three weeks ago with symptoms of lethargy and loss of appetite, then they began to produce significantly less milk.

Milk and nasal swabs then tested positive for the virus. 'We hadn't seen anything like it before. It was kind of like they had a cold,' said Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.

Tests revealed that an unknown number of cows have tested positive for bird flu Type A H5N1 in Texas, Kansas and New Mexico. Iowa is currently 'monitoring the situation' as it is also a dairy-heavy state. It comes after a goat in Minnesota tested positive last week. Bird flu has also been found in foxes, bobcats, striped skunks, raccoons and coyotes since the 2022 outbreak.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

Bird flu is detected in person who had contact with infected COW on a dairy farm in Texas​

The White House is on red alert for bird flu after health officials revealed a Texan dairy farmer caught a deadly bird flu strain from a cow.

The patient is only the second-ever American to be diagnosed with H5N1, but the virus is spreading among cattle in multiple US states after jumping from birds.

Officials at the CDC announced the case today but claimed the threat to the public remains low, insisting that early analyses suggested it had not mutated in a way that would allow it to infect people more easily.

But Senior White House officials are said to be 'closely monitoring the situation' after Jeff Zients, President Joe Biden's chief of staff, was briefed last week before the announcement.

Former health officials said they were not comforted by the assurances made by the government - highlighting how the Trump Administration played down fears about Covid in the early days of the pandemic.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

Kansas dairy cows have tested positive for bird flu, for the first time ever​

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Bird flu spreads to dairy cows in Idaho, Michigan and New Mexico​

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[nivek]

I wonder if any of this tainted milk had accidentally been released to the public before they knew it was tainted with the virus...

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[AD1184]

I wonder if any of this tainted milk had accidentally been released to the public before they knew it was tainted with the virus...

I wouldn't be too concerned about that. Viruses like bird flu rely on a living host to sustain themselves, and cannot survive for very long outside the body of an animal in which they can replicate. Replication is usually only within certain types of cells within the animal. Although raw milk can contain living white blood cells, for example, I don't think these are the type of cells that can sustain H5N1. Pasteurization will kill these cells, and probably virus particles, which will be killed anyway as time passes outside of the cow. Foodborne pathogens, especially the type that occur within pre-packaged products, like milk, are typically bacterial in nature. Foodborne viruses are usually only introduced by someone preparing food immediately before it is eaten.

 

[nivek]

@AD1184

In the quote below, is this really how H5N1 began or is this just the offical explanation?...

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'It's a matter of when, not if': DailyMail.com asked seven bird flu experts if the H5N1 case in Texas raises risk of a future pandemic... this is what they said​

(Excerpt)

The H5N1 spreading across the world emerged in 2020 after a bird was infected with both a bird flu from domestic poultry and a virus from wild birds.

During the infection, the two viruses met in the same cell and swapped genes — in a process scientifically termed re-assortment — to create the new virus that now had multiple attributes which made it better at infecting bird cells.

It quickly spread globally, with the first cases identified in Europe — before infections also being detected in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

Don't eat runny yolks! Health experts advise Americans to avoid eggs sunny side up because of BIRD FLU fears​

Americans are being warned to stay away from eggs with runny yolks amid increasing cases of bird flu in the US.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, A former FDA expert has urged people to cook their eggs thoroughly to kill off any lingering fragments of virus.

Farms in multiple states are struggling with outbreaks of the H5N1 strain among poultry and, for the first time, cattle.

Earlier this week, health officials in Texas confirmed that a dairy farmer caught the virus, making him only the second-ever American to contract the disease.

Dr Darin Detwiler, food safety expert at Northeastern University and former advisor to the FDA and USDA, told DailyMail.com: 'Transmission of bird flu to humans through the consumption of properly cooked poultry products, including eggs, is very low. The risk arises with improperly cooked eggs or poultry meat.

'Using pasteurized eggs or ensuring eggs are fully cooked could provide an additional layer of safety, reducing the risk of potential exposure to the virus.'

Bird flu often spreads from waterbirds like ducks and geese to chickens. Dr Detwiler notes that when chickens become infected, the virus can be present in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces.

'Consequently, the virus can contaminate the birds' environment, including the eggs they lay,' he said.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

Bird flu may have killed THOUSANDS of penguins in Antarctica: Researchers suspect outbreak of deadly H5N1 virus is behind deaths of around 530 - with many more feared to have died​

Bird flu may have killed thousands of penguins in Antarctica, researchers have said as they probe a suspected outbreak of the deadly virus.

A scientific expedition last month found at least 532 dead Adelie penguins in Antarctica, with thousands more thought to have died, according to a statement from Federation University Australia.

Researchers suspect the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus killed the penguins, however field tests were inconclusive, the university said. Samples are being shipped off to labs that the researchers hope will provide answers in coming months.

Scientists are concerned specifically that the often fatal H5N1 influenza could decimate threatened species of penguins and other animals on the remote southern continent.

The disease has spread more aggressively in wildlife than ever before since arriving in South America in 2022 and rapidly made its way to Antarctica, where the first case of H5N1 was confirmed in February.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

'Be prepared': CDC convenes bird flu outbreak meeting where it tells state health officials to get ready for more human cases​

State health officials have been told to prepare for more human cases of bird flu, amid fears the virus could jump to people.

CDC officials issued the warning on Friday, urging state leaders to have 'up-to-date operational plans' in place in case more farm workers test positive for H5N1.

At the meeting, they also emphasized that the risk to the public was still low — but said health officials should be prepared for the potential of more cases.

Only one infection has been reported in a person in Texas so far, but officials fear more humans in close contact with infected cattle may also have H5N1.

Cattle on 16 farms across seven states — mostly in Texas — have tested positive for the virus, with doctors now urged to test any farm worker for the disease who they suspect may have been infected.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

Bird flu outbreak in NYC animals prompts new health alert: New Yorkers are told to STAY AWAY from wildlife​

New Yorkers are being urged to keep their distance from wildlife after bird flu was discovered in NYC — amid fears the disease could jump to humans.

Geese, falcons and hawks living in Manhattan's parks and green spaces have tested positive for the virus, officials say, warning cases could be more widespread.

Residents and visitors are being warned not to chase or try to catch birds and to wash their hands after any contact with droppings.

It is feared humans could become infected after a farmer in Texas tested positive for the virus at the start of this month, becoming the second case in the US in history.

Experts say that every case in people raises the risk of the virus gaining mutations allowing it to better infect and spread between humans.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

Bird flu fears as 18 states place restrictions on cow movement to prevent spread of virus​

Fears of the rapidly spreading bird flu have spurred multiple farms in the United States to place restrictions on cattle movement. Health officials in at least 18 states have placed restrictions on imports of cattle from states where bird flu, also known as H5N1, has infected dairy cows, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA).

As of Monday, the strain of the highly pathogenic bird flu that has killed millions of wild birds in recent years has prompted states like Alabama and Arizona to enact limits on the movement of cattle, as Texas detected its first human case of bird flu. The list also includes Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia.

Bird flu, also known as avian influenza Type A H5N1, has been detected in more than 200 mammals since 2022, but this is the first time it has been found in livestock such as dairy cows, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).



The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) said it will not be issuing federal quarantine orders or recommending any state-level quarantines, according to the agency on April 2.

"However, we strongly recommend minimizing movement of cattle as much as possible, with special attention to evaluating risk and factoring that risk into movement decisions. Do not move sick or exposed animals," the agency said. APHIS officials said that if cattle must be moved, then it encourages "extreme diligence" by producers, veterinarians, and health officials to ensure that only healthy cattle are moving.

This comes two weeks after a Texas dairy farmer who was in close contact with a dairy cattle became the second reported American to be infected with bird flu in the US and the first case to be linked to dairy cattle. The only symptom that patient has experienced was eye inflammation, and has reported to be treated with the antiviral drug oseltamivir, the Texas Department of State Health Services said earlier this month.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

Remnants of bird flu are found in grocery store milk - weeks after health officials assured public it wasn't possible​

Pieces of bird flu have been detected in grocery store milk - despite health officials insisting for weeks that it wasn't possible.

Government health officials still insist the traces of H5N1 are inactive and that the findings do not indicate milk on grocery store shelves is unsafe.

But it marks another worrying development in the outbreak which is tearing through American dairy farms.

The Agriculture Department, FDA and CDC all claimed weeks ago that the virus could not infect commercial milk because of the process of pasteurization, which involves heating up the liquid to kill off pathogens.

The FDA said it believes the virus particles detected were lingering remnants from the pasteurization process that do not pose a threat.

The FDA said: ‘Pasteurization is a process that kills harmful bacteria and viruses by heating milk to a specific temperature for a set period of time to make milk safer.

‘Even if virus is detected in raw milk, pasteurization is generally expected to eliminate pathogens to a level that does not pose a risk to consumer health.’

The agency added: 'To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe.'

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

Large bird flu outbreak feared among Texas farmers - group shows symptoms of disease as experts warn cases are far more widespread than previously thought​

Experts have warned that human transmission of bird flu may be far more widespread than thought, as farmers in Texas and Wisconsin are reported to have symptoms of the virus but are avoiding testing.

Dr Barb Petersen, a dairy veterinarian in Amarillo, Texas, explained that workers at a local farm where cattle have tested positive for the virus are suffering tell-tale symptoms.

She said: 'People had some classic flu-like symptoms, including high fever, sweating at night, chills, lower back pain,' as well as upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea.

They also tended to have 'pretty severe conjunctivitis and swelling of their eyelids'.

Meanwhile, veterinary researchers in Wisconsin — where the virus has infected cows — have reported multiple cases of local farmers suffering bird flu-like symptoms.

But farmers are notoriously reluctant to seek medical help, meaning 'a lot of cases are not documented', according to Dr Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

Florida dolphin dies of 'mutated' H5N1 bird flu that is 18 TIMES more resistant to drug treatment​

A bottlenose dolphin in Florida has become one of the latest mammals to die from bird flu, according to a new report.

Scientists from the University of Florida found this particular bird flu victim after they were notified of a dolphin that appeared to be in distress, but a necropsy following its death revealed it contracted a highly deadly strain.

The team discovered the virus in the mammal's brain and lungs, which had mutated to become 18 times more resistant to current drug treatments.

As researchers performed their necropsy of the dolphin, they identified inflammation in and around its brain and spinal cord.

After the dolphin had tested negative for other infections that can cause this kind of inflammation, they found bird flu antigen and RNA in its brain and lungs

Specifically, the dolphin was infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus of HA clade 2.3.4.4b.

They found some evidence of the virus in the lungs, but most of it was in the brain and the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord.

(More on the link)

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[nivek]

'People had some classic flu-like symptoms, including high fever, sweating at night, chills, lower back pain,' as well as upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea.

They also tended to have 'pretty severe conjunctivitis and swelling of their eyelids'.

This sounds like bird flu, if they don't get treatment it can affect the brain and kill...

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[AD1184]

When H5N1 has been detected in poultry, it has led to the culling of entire flocks. Now that it is spreading in mammalian livestock, which is far more dangerous, they don't want to cull the herds because of the economic value of the livestock. Maybe we can take some comfort by recalling that during the social distancing era for Covid, the rate of transmission of influenza dropped to very low levels, so can possibly be controlled again. Also, H5N1 is constrained by natural evolution, rather than having been tinkered with to promote human transmission in a Chinese laboratory.

 

[nivek]

When H5N1 has been detected in poultry, it has led to the culling of entire flocks. Now that it is spreading in mammalian livestock, which is far more dangerous, they don't want to cull the herds because of the economic value of the livestock.

They're playing Russian roulette, history has shown us that naturally evolved viruses can be just as deadly as those tinkered with in laboratories...

Maybe we can take some comfort by recalling that during the social distancing era for Covid, the rate of transmission of influenza dropped to very low levels, so can possibly be controlled again. Also, H5N1 is constrained by natural evolution, rather than having been tinkered with to promote human transmission in a Chinese laboratory.

Maybe, H5N1 seems to be quite resilient and able to adapt to new hosts with somewhat ease...

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[nivek]

Cats suffer H5N1 brain infections, blindness, death after drinking raw milk​

On March 16, cows on a Texas dairy farm began showing symptoms of a mysterious illness now known to be H5N1 bird flu. Their symptoms were nondescript, but their milk production dramatically dropped and turned thick and creamy yellow. The next day, cats on the farm that had consumed some of the raw milk from the sick cows also became ill. While the cows would go on to largely recover, the cats weren't so lucky. They developed depressed mental states, stiff body movements, loss of coordination, circling, copious discharge from their eyes and noses, and blindness. By March 20, over half of the farm's 24 or so cats died from the flu.

In a study published today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers in Iowa, Texas, and Kansas found that the cats had H5N1 not just in their lungs but also in their brains, hearts, and eyes. The findings are similar to those seen in cats that were experimentally infected with H5N1, aka highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI). But, on the Texas dairy farm, they present an ominous warning of the potential for transmission of this dangerous and evolving virus.

The contaminated milk was the most likely source of the cat's fatal infections, the study authors concluded. Although it can't be entirely ruled out that the cats got sick from eating infected wild birds, the milk they drank from the sick cows was brimming with virus particles, and genetic data shows almost exact matches between the cows, their milk, and the cats. "Therefore, our findings suggest cross-species mammal-to-mammal transmission of HPAI H5N1 virus and raise new concerns regarding the potential for virus spread within mammal populations," wrote the authors, who are veterinary researchers from Iowa, Texas, and Kansas.

The early outbreak data from the Texas farm suggests the virus is getting better and better at jumping to mammals, and data from elsewhere shows the virus is spreading widely in its newest host.

(More on the link)

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[AD1184]

Cats suffer H5N1 brain infections, blindness, death after drinking raw milk​

On March 16, cows on a Texas dairy farm began showing symptoms of a mysterious illness now known to be H5N1 bird flu. Their symptoms were nondescript, but their milk production dramatically dropped and turned thick and creamy yellow. The next day, cats on the farm that had consumed some of the raw milk from the sick cows also became ill. While the cows would go on to largely recover, the cats weren't so lucky. They developed depressed mental states, stiff body movements, loss of coordination, circling, copious discharge from their eyes and noses, and blindness. By March 20, over half of the farm's 24 or so cats died from the flu.

In a study published today in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers in Iowa, Texas, and Kansas found that the cats had H5N1 not just in their lungs but also in their brains, hearts, and eyes. The findings are similar to those seen in cats that were experimentally infected with H5N1, aka highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI). But, on the Texas dairy farm, they present an ominous warning of the potential for transmission of this dangerous and evolving virus.

The contaminated milk was the most likely source of the cat's fatal infections, the study authors concluded. Although it can't be entirely ruled out that the cats got sick from eating infected wild birds, the milk they drank from the sick cows was brimming with virus particles, and genetic data shows almost exact matches between the cows, their milk, and the cats. "Therefore, our findings suggest cross-species mammal-to-mammal transmission of HPAI H5N1 virus and raise new concerns regarding the potential for virus spread within mammal populations," wrote the authors, who are veterinary researchers from Iowa, Texas, and Kansas.

The early outbreak data from the Texas farm suggests the virus is getting better and better at jumping to mammals, and data from elsewhere shows the virus is spreading widely in its newest host.

(More on the link)

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It's insane that the US government is effectively just letting this situation happen.

 

[AD1184]

None of the lessons of the Covid pandemic seem to have been learned, and almost no pro-active steps are being taken. The only thing I can find that the US government has done is that the FDA has stipulated that cows are not able to transported across state lines without an H5N1 test.

US requires bird flu tests for dairy cows being moved across states

Testing of pasteurised milk from stores found genetic traces of H5N1 virus, but fragments do not indicate it contains live virus

www.theguardian.com

Nothing like culling or at least isolating infected herds from other animals, minimizing worker-animal interactions in farms with known H5N1 outbreaks, suspending cattle markets and movements between farms, or whatever. I think it is because the beef and dairy lobbies are very powerful in the US, and the government does not want to get on the wrong side of them. They are so powerful that it is this issue alone that has prevented the US government for decades from drafting a comprehensive free trade agreement with the European Union, as the issue of access to the European market for US beef products is a redline for both parties in any negotiation. The EU does not want it to happen, but the US demands it as a condition of any agreement.

The US government took very pro-active steps when British beef cattle were found to be carrying mad cow disease in the 1990s, which although a very bad disease if it is transmitted to humans to cause vCJD, is much lower risk than H5N1 bird flu.